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Culture

Is that a Buddha statue you’re trying to sneak in?

By: Santosh :+: Under: Culture, Desi Ishtyle, Opinion, Politics, Religion
On: ⋅ March 21, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment
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It’s not really a party until you’re doing Samyaksambuddha shots
(img: via BBC)

Take one British tycoon, an Islamic Republic in the Indian Ocean, a birthday bash, some statues of Buddha, a few topless dancers, a (yikes) George Michael cabaret and an appearance by her posteriorness^TM J’Lo. Guess who makes the news? If your answer was “the Buddha statues”, you win one Maldives Rufiyaa.

The party was attended by a host of celebrities, including the singers George Michael and Jennifer Lopez. It allegedly featured topless dancers, a giant Buddha statue and copious amounts of champagne. Critics say that such an event was incompatible with the conservative Muslim culture of the islands.

So scantily clad women and alcohol don’t go down (pardon the pun) well in a country with a conservative culture. Nothing surprising there, we’ve seen similar situations times ad nauseum, in countries on our dear little subcontinent. But then how many countries in the subcontinent actually bar foreigners from importing religious items like …. oh ….. Buddha statues.

The Maldivian Democratic Party has also complained that the Buddha statue brought into the country for the party was in contravention of the law,

To quote Lil Jon: “What!!!!?????”

which prohibits the promotion of any faith apart from Islam. They say that thousands of migrant Sri Lankan workers are forbidden from carrying a personal Buddha in their pockets in recognition of this rule.

The nerve of those migrant workers! Maybe they should send the evil migrant Sri Lankans who were caught trying to smuggle Buddha statues into the country, to the Sir Philip’s party as punishment.

Guests were reportedly treated to …………………….. a cabaret performance by George Michael.

That should teach them!

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